These are personal accounts of the negative consequences that inappropriate interviews have had on people.
I started having a sexual relationship with my first serious boyfriend at the age of 16. He was also a member of the church. We decided as a couple that we wanted to repent so that we could be worthy for temple marriage. I made an appointment with my bishop to start the repentance process.…
i was constantly asked as from 14-18 if I was masturbating by my ward leader; my bishop referred to it as, self abuse. I had struggled with that before, but had stopped. I felt ashamed for feeling uncomfortable discussing with my bishop, because it was basically understood at that time that I would be separated…
My story may seem insignificant to some, but for me it had a huge impact on my personal self worth while growing up. I was molested one time as a young child, and I was so confused and ashamed that I hid it from everyone and pretended it was just a bad dream. I wasn’t…
My uncle started molesting me when I was 6 years old. At my 8 year baptismal interview I “confessed” what my uncle was doing. My bishop told me he would make sure and “handle it”, and stressed the importance of my baptism and how it would “wash me clean again.” It continued for years…. When…
My bishop freely admitted to forcing confessions out of youth regarding pornography use. He said this to a room full of women, as he was teaching a Relief Society lesson on pornography. According to the bishop, when the Spirit tells him that a youth is involved with pornography, he brings him/her into his office repeatedly…
When I was 14 I was interviewed for a temple recommend to go with our ward to do baptisms for the dead. It went well until the bishop asked if I was morally clean. I honestly answered yes because I knew I was. He said “I don’t believe you.” I still remember the sick feeling…
Like most children do, at the age of 11 or 12 I began feeling sexual urges within myself. I’ve come to learn that these urges are normal and are a part of our bodies maturing into adulthood in preparation for sex. But, what I didn’t know at the time was that anyone else ever felt…
When I was 16, I went to what was supposed to be a slumber party at a friend’s house, with parental permission. There, I was confronted with adult men present for a “party.” I was drugged and raped by two of the men. My parents could tell something was wrong with me over the next…
At 12 I was a completely naive young girl. The Bishop started out by asking me if I was sexually pure. Then ask questions about masturbating, heavy petting, necking and soul kissing or french kissing. I had no idea what I was being asked, so the bishop took that as a green light to explain…
I started masturbating when I was 9 years old, a few years later I was house sitting for a neighbor and watched pornography alone on their VHS tapes. I read the book “the worth of a soul” and thought that I was destined for outer darkness. In any Bishop’s interview I ever had as a…